Ontario Circle Tour

DAYS: 14

CITY OF THE WORLDCanada’s economic and cultural capital, Toronto brims with energy and excitement. Enjoy an incredible view from atop the CN Tower; try the EdgeWalk if you dare. Choose from a remarkable array of galleries and museums, including the Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum. Savour international cuisine and local specialties. From Bloor-Yorkville haute couture to Queen St. West bohemia, Toronto offers great shopping. Enjoy great performing arts and catch the very best in dance, theatre, music and opera at beautiful venues like Roy Thomson Hall, the Princess of Wales Theatre and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. And for a break from city life, take a 10-minute ferry ride to the idyllic Toronto Islands – it’s the perfect vantage point to see the city skyline.

THE WONDER OF THE THUNDERNiagara Falls is a must-see…and there are so many ways to discover it! Get a bird’s-eye view from a helicopter or take the Journey Behind the Falls. Travel right to the edge of the Fall’s crashing waters on the Hornblower Niagara Cruises. Ride the Class V rapids of the Niagara River on a Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour. Each evening at dusk, see the Falls illuminated in the colours of the rainbow. Cap off your day at a casino. Spend an afternoon along the Wine Route, boasting over 90 diverse wineries. Enjoy locally inspired cuisine paired with fine vintages. Sample Ontario’s award-winning Icewine. Then head to town and browse the quaint shops of Niagara-on-the-Lake, home to the renowned Shaw Festival.

BLUE MOUNTAIN AND WHITE MOUNTAINSMake your way to Blue Mountain Resort, a beautiful four-season recreation destination. Get active and go caving, hiking, golfing or skiing. Ride a gondola and soar to panoramic heights overlooking Georgian Bay. For a thrill, take a treetop walk and then try out a 2,550 foot zipline. Browse boutiques in pedestrian-friendly Blue Mountain Village. Stay in a luxurious suite, pamper yourself in the spa and enjoy gourmet dining. Board the MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry for Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. Journey along the Great Spirit Circle Trail with tours guided by local Indigenous people. Experience a Pow Wow and dance to drum beats. On the mainland, head east to Killarney Provincial Park, where adventurers can paddle blue waters and hike white quartzite mountains.

PARK YOURSELF HEREAlgonquin Provincial Park is an oasis for outdoor adventurers – more than 2,400 lakes and countless trails await paddlers and hikers of all abilities. Take a guided tour – here, wildlife sightings of moose and beaver are plentiful for those who pay attention! Pristine lakes, boreal forests and granite landscapes are everywhere in Muskoka, an area renowned for its lodges and resorts. Its towns have a charm all their own too. Browse local shops and take in an artisan studio tour – especially during fall’s brilliant colours. Cruise the beautiful Muskoka lakes on the RMS Segwun, North America’s oldest operating steamship. Play a round of golf at a local course surrounded by the rugged Canadian Shield.

CITIES OF CULTURECanada’s national capital, Ottawa, is also a capital of culture. See the gothic-inspired Parliament Buildings, majestically overlooking the Ottawa River. Witness the stirring Changing of the Guard ceremony. Visit a variety of fascinating museums. Cycle alongside the historic Rideau Canal, which turns into the world’s largest skating rink each winter. Travel south to Kingston along the Rideau Heritage Route. Visit charming towns and historic locks along the way. Step back in time at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg. Take a 1000 Islands boat cruise, departing from several communities along the St. Lawrence River. Admire the 19th-century limestone architecture of Kingston’s heritage buildings. Stay the night in a charming inn or B&B before heading west to Toronto to complete your circle tour.